


This Only Way This Would End, Is In Our Deaths

by liviie



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Mary Dies, Nathan Wesninski's Bad Parenting, Past Child Abuse, Running Away, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liviie/pseuds/liviie
Summary: Nathaniel didn't think they could run forever, but he didn't think it could fall apart so easily.
Relationships: Neil Josten & Mary Hatford, Neil Josten & Nathan Wesninski
Kudos: 14





	This Only Way This Would End, Is In Our Deaths

Most days after the apocalypse, Nathaniel and Mary Hatford spent their time lying. Their names, their stories, even the words they shared between the two of them. Everything they ever said was a lie. 

Nathaniel realized that was all he'd ever been when he found himself flying down an empty freeway towards the California border: a lie. Not the kind of lie you feel guilty about telling, but more empty and exhausted. The kind that made your tongue feel out of place and big. The lie that, after it is spoken, it can never be taken back. 

The two of them, Mary and Nathaniel, were perfectly okay the night before. They were still running, even now, but they could afford to make mistakes now. They didn't have to be so precise anymore. But life gave them an inch, and they took a mile. 

"You're getting sloppy Abram!" Mary yelled from the passenger seat, "How the fuck does the end of the world make you weak?" 

Abram only swallowed his rebuke and ignored the sudden dryness in his throat. The speed the car was going felt too slow and meager compared to the panic rising in his blood. 

"Get us out of California, we'll figure it out from there," Mary said through tight lips. 

Abram nodded and, with a desperation he'd been carrying since fleeing Los Angelos, he fled towards the California Border. 

\- 

They were 18 miles away from the exit when Mary screamed to pull over. If her desperate gasps of air weren't a telltale sign something was wrong, Mary's white knuckles around Abram's shoulder was. 

Abram, used to the pain his mother inflicted, slowed the car to a rough stop and cringed at Mary's pained yelp. 

Mary's death grip didn't loosen when Abram pulled out the keys, but she didn't talk either. The car, and Mary, were silent as Abram waited for clarification. Mary wasn't quiet in the usual angry quiet Abram was so used to, or even the thoughtful quiet he sometimes got on birthdays. No, this quiet was the one before a storm. 

"You'll keep running Abram," Mary whispered, "You'll keep running until the soles of your feet fall off." 

"Why, what is going on?" 

Mary rolled her eyes and, using her free hand, yanked her son's head level with hers. She sunk her fingers into his curls and pulled viciously, ignoring the yelp her son made. 

"Nathaniel, promise me you'll keep running. Promise me you won't look back," And when Abram didn't respond with anything but a panicked look, Mary shook his head, schooled her voice, and as one last gift to her son, she broke him: "Don't look back, don't be anybody for too long, and do not trust anyone. Repeat it." 

When Abram finally found use of his tongue, the words felt like a nail in the coffin, "Don't look back, don't be anybody for too long, don't trust anyone." 

"Again!" She yelled. 

"Don't look back, don't be anybody for too long, don't trust anyone." Abram recited. 

"Again!" Mary said, releasing her grip. 

Don't look back, don't be anybody for too long, don't trust anyone." 

Abram had been alive 17 years. He'd seen his mother angry, embarrassed, hurt, afraid, terrified, but never this. Not this desperate and sad. Abram had been alive 17 years and he'd never, ever, seen Mary Wazinksi hopeless. 

"Good, now run, Abram, run." 

Abram had been alive 17 years, 7 of those he'd been on the run. Never once had he run from his mother. Without a second thought, Abram was out the door. 

\- 

Abram ignored the world around him and favored the sound of his shoes finally finding pavement over the eerie quiet. He'd run for what felt like months, in the sand, on grass, through caked mud. Anywhere but on the road or broken sidewalk. He tried to ignore the ghost of his mother haunting the corner of his eyes. Mary Hatford staring at Abram lost in the current of Californian heat with her heavy hands stuck permanently at her sides. 

He wanted to laugh at her. To smile at the night sky and sing "I'm free!" But one look up into the starry night, and all he could see was his father laughing. Even at the end of the world, he managed to haunt Abram. 

Two days ago, Abram found out he'd always be a lie. Two days ago he left his mother to rot inside a car. Two days ago, he was flying down a California road to nowhere. 

Ever since then, Nathaniel ran and recited his promises: don't look back, don't be anyone for too long, and don't trust anyone. It didn't take much for his body to finally give up and drop Abram to his knees. 

It'd been 7 years since Abram could breathe. One long sigh brought attention, one harsh exhale brought attention, one staggering breath brought unnecessary eyes, and his mother's merciless hands. When his knees touched the harsh pavement and the loose rocks dug into his palms, Abram took in one long breath and instantly knew he was dead. 

Who was he kidding? He couldn't survive without Mary. He would get out of California and his father would be sitting there at the border, smiling at his son's pain. Who was Abram kidding? His life wasn't worth this much effort. His mother was the only thing protecting himself from the trouble he'd eventually fall in. If he couldn't look back, and he couldn't bear to look forward, his next best choice was down. Down onto the concrete. Down six feet into a grave. 

As his thoughts spiraled, he began to lose hope. Two days ago, his life was fine. He had his mother and that's all he'd ever needed. She didn't seem like so little until he lost her. 

With Abram's eyes closed and thoughts so insanely loud, he didn't hear the footsteps behind him. Staggering and short. He missed the low, hungry growl from behind him. The smell of rotting flesh entered his nostril and all he could think of was his mother in that stupid car 18 miles from where they needed to be. 

"Fuck you," Abram yelled. 

The sound of an anguished yell broke out across the city and Abram finally broke out of his self-deprecating state. 

"Don't look back," Mary yelled, and Abram complied. Getting back on his broken feet and running towards the scream, barely escaping a zombie's claws. 

\- 

When Abram finally made it to the source of the noise, he found a lone stranger pacing around an empty parking lot. He tried to duck behind a car, but the act was futile as the guy immediately made eye contact with Abram and broke out into a smile. 

"Oh my god! Hello! I'm Nicky," The man's enthusiasm was nauseating. 

As Abram slowly creeped out from behind the rusting old sedan and let his eyes fall on Nicky. It was dark and most of his features were hidden by the dark, but he managed to make out freckles and a shit-eating grin. 

Abram was going to reply before his eyes caught movement a few yards behind Nicky and trained his eyes just above his shoulder. 

Abram ignored Nicky's attempt at conversation until more movement caught his attention, "Nicky, I think there's something behind you," 

"Behind me? But there's no-" He was cut off by an angry growl. 

In one quick spin, Nicky found himself in front of a 6ft tall behemoth with it's stomach pouring out. Rightfully, he yelped and ran towards Abram as if his 5"7 stature was going to protect him at all. The zombie was two times taller than Abram and had more muscle mass than anyone could dream of. It was a tank built for destruction. 

"What am I going to do against that thing!" Abram yelled from his place between Tank and Nicky. 

"You have the weapons! I'm barely taller than you!" 

"Nicky! Look at that guy!" 

Nicky, wide-eyed and terrified, desperately yelled, "It's starting to run, what are we going to do!" 

Abram scoffed and grabbed the boy's hand, ignored the fact that he already messed up his promises to his mother, and ran. Nicky was slow and fumbled with his steps, but Abram didn't care; as long as the monster didn't gain on them, the freckle-faced stanger could trip all he wanted to. 

"Keep moving you idiot," Abram chided, "Do you want to die?" 

He sounded so much like his mother that it hurt. 

\- 

They ran for about 15 minutes before Nicky's hand tightened around Abram's and took the lead. Effectively dragging Abram through the foreign Californian streets. 

"There's a house a ways over, come on," 

"I don't think it's following us anymore, you can let go of my hand." Abram tried. 

Apparently taking this as permission to take a break, Nicky stopped running and caught his breath. His legs were slightly shaky and his frame trembled with every inhale. The man looked exhausted. 

"We didn't even run that far, how are you so out of breath?" Abram shook out his legs and jumped up and down, trying to get some feeling in his now numb toes. 

"Nicky Hemmick," he said as if Abram hadn't been cursing it the whole way there. 

Abram thought for a moment and nodded, grabbing the hand Nicky began to offer, "Neil Josten." 

"Sorry for the harsh introduction, I could've sworn no one was in that parking lot." 

Neil, alarmed, asked: "Did you expect me?" 

Nicky smiled up from his spot on the curb and shrugged, "My cousin spotted you running our way a few hours ago and told me to invite you over. He said you would be a 'valuable asset' but I'm pretty sure he just thinks you're cute." 

Taken aback Neil just nods numbly. He knows, objectively, that he was attractive if the high school taught him anything, but not now. Not at the end of the world. 

"So, wanna join me and my cousins to West Virginia?" 

Neil could actually see Nicky now that he was up close. He was young with laugh lines and freckles. His hair was a dark brown with curls and his outfit consisted of ripped jeans and a purple shirt reading "Be Gay, Do Crime." He looked relatively safe and, so far, had been overwhelmingly nice, but something about him was annoying. 

"Let's meet your cousins first, yeah?" 

Neil helped Nicky up and basically carried him a few blocks to the steps of a light blue house with a picket white fence. The name "The Laurence's" was painted on a rusty white mailbox in cursive. 

"Andrew! Aaron! Get out here!" Nicky yelled in Neil's ear. 

"Hey maybe not bursting my eardrum?" 

"Right, sorry," Nicky apologized with a blush dusting his cheeks. 

The porch was quiet for a moment before two identical twins emerged from the house. One with a completely blank face, the other with a scowl. 

"Guys! This is Neil Josten! He's going to help us get to West Virginia," Nicky said, patting Neil on the back. 

"I said I'd meet them first, Nicky. This is me meeting them." 

The one with the scowl just scoffed and went back inside, finished with the conversation before it even started. 

"That was Aaron, he's usually like that,” Nicky explained, "And this here is Andrew." 

Neil looked at the twin with the blank stare and immediately knew he wasn't going to West Virginia. That man, as small as he was, was 100% danger, and by the looks of it, he knew it. Neil locked eyes with the man's hazel ones and wanted to run. His mother screamed in his head, "Run Abram, run," but Nicky's arm wrapped around Neil's neck held him there. 

"Nice to meet you," Neil bit out. 

Andrew smiled, wicked and threatening, "Likewise." 

"Look at that! You've met them! Now help us get to West Virginia?" 

"And if I say no?" 

Neil meant to ask Nicky, but his eyes stayed frozen on Andrew's as he talked. 

"You won't," Andrew answered and shook a cigarette out a box, "Plus, where else are you going to go?" 

"Arizona," Neil answered. As if he had known this whole time where he was heading. 

Andrew laughed and finally broke eye contact, "So the stench of rotting flesh isn't enough, you'd rather smell cooked rotting flesh every morning?" 

Neil shook off Nicky's arm and shrugged, as if bored of the conversation, but the way his mouth twisted was a dead giveaway that he wasn't. 

He knew the people that were still alive weren't normal. Anyone still among the living is either stupid rich, stupid stubborn, or stupid both. Although, the rich part could only get you so far nowadays. So, that means, this little family on the edge of California was too stubborn to die, which made them desperate to live, which made them dangerous. 

Yet so was Neil. Not only that, but Neil was alone now too. Neil Josten was nothing: maybe these people could make him something. 

"Don't be anyone for too long," Mary chided in his ears. 

So it's decided: Neil, lost and alone, would take advantage of this opportunity. He knew his father was going to find him soon, why not be with others until then? Even if Andrew was a threat, he was nothing like Nathan. Neil didn't believe anyone could be. 

Neil, foolish and desperate, nodded and answered, "I guess I'm going to West Virginia." 

"Yay! Finally, someone who isn't my cousin! And we're leaving tomorrow morning so don't stay up too late," Nicky yelped, "Oh this is going to be so much fun!" 

Neil watched Nicky leave and sighed dispassionately at his future. Mary died two days ago and somehow, he was already in deep shit. 

"We'll be on the road for a month, you think you'll make it Runner?" Andrew asked. 

"I think you're asking the wrong person Smoker." 

If Neil was looking, he'd see Andrew's lips twitch in a half-assed smile, but Neil wasn't looking. Instead, his eyes were trained on the outline of a knife in Andrew's armband. Ice ran through his veins as his father's booming voice broke through his thoughts. 

"Try running again Nathaniel," Nathan warned, "And I'll fucking kill you."

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah this is part of my apocalypse au, but there really was only one chapter that I liked so...
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


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